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After a few days out of the health care reform spotlight, President Obama returned to action on Thursday by reaching out to liberals and conservatives as he tries to regain control of the debate.

He rolled up his shirtsleeves and fired up supporters in an online forum with Organizing For America activists, the 13-million-strong grass-roots wing of his machine. Obama asked them to combat lies and misinformation being spread by opponents, who say the legislation would cover illegal immigrants and amount to a government takeover of health care.

“Now, come on. We can have a real debate because health care’s hard and there are some legitimate issues out there that have to be sorted through and worked on,” Obama said. “The best ambassadors for true information, factual information is all of you. You have more credibility than anybody on television when it comes to your family members and your friends and your neighbors and that’s why you being involved is so important,” Obama said.

In what amounted to an hour-long town hall meeting with his base, Obama reminded them how they had helped him overcome long-odds to win the presidency and asked them to keep working as they head into their toughest fight yet.

Obama recalled how the storyline turned against his presidential campaign when Republicans picked Sarah Palin to be the party’s vice presidential candidate.

“The media was obsessed with it and cable was 24 hours a day, ‘Obama’s lost his mojo.’ You remember all that?” he asked supporters to laughter. “There’s something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee-wee’ed up. I don’t know what it is.”

The president said his plan would allow people to keep their insurance, make quality affordable insurance available for the uninsured and give everyone the option to join a government-run insurance plan.

Asked by a participant why he wasn’t pushing the public plan harder, Obama said, “I continue to support a public option. I think it is important and I think it will help drive down costs and give consumers choices.”

On the other side of the political spectrum, the public plan option also drew questions. Conservative talk-show host Michael Smerconish interviewed Obama earlier in the day and asked whether Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius misspoke on Sunday when she said the public option is “not the essential element” of reform.

“She really didn’t misspeak. The surprising thing is she’d been saying this all along. She said the same thing a month ago,” Obama said. “We think that’s a good idea, but we haven’t said that that’s the only aspect of health insurance. And what she essentially said was is that all these other insurance reforms are just as important as the public option

Still, Obama’s answer suggests a willingness to move away from a government-run insurance option if it means striking a deal on health care reform legislation.

Obama said he wants to see a bill that doesn’t increase the deficit, controls costs, creates an insurance exchange where consumers can shop for affordable insurance and reforms the insurance system to prevent insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Asked by a caller why Obama is compromising with Republicans when Democrats control the White House and Congress, Obama said, “I guarantee you, Joe, we are going to get health care reform done.”

“My attitude has always been let’s see if we can get this done with some consensus. I would love to have more Republicans engaged and involved in this process,” he said. “We’re happy to make sensible compromises. What we’re not willing to do is give up on the core principle that Americans who don’t have health insurance should get it. That Americans who do have health insurance should get a better deal from insurance companies.”

Amid White House concerns that it’s losing the message war on...its left... fron[t]."

This is a key point:

TeamPOLITICO: Aug. 19, 2009 - 9:17 AM EST

"Apparently having a filibuster-proof majority, a 40-seat advantage in the House, and a president who was once really popular isn’t enough," Spain said in a statement. "Maybe if people actually liked the bill,Democrats’ wouldn’t have such a tough time whipping up... votes... within their own party."

***

But even that will be hard. The House-Senate split over whether to include a government-run plan is likely to make the final bill "very tough" to sell to enough Democrats to pass, according to leadership aides.

Let's hear that one part again

TeamPOLITICO: Aug. 19, 2009 - 9:17 AM EST

Spain said in a statement,"Maybe if people actually liked the bill,Democrats’ wouldn’t have such a tough time whipping up... votes... within their own party."

Who is opposing Obamacare? Let's hear that one part again

TeamPOLITICO: Aug. 19, 2009 - 9:17 AM EST

Spain said in a statement. "...Democrats... Democrats within their own party...."

..."very tough" to sell to enough Democrats to pass, according to leadership aides.

That's right: Democrats. The last time I checked, the term "Democrat" means: "not Republican"

It's not surprising that President Obama has run into a wall. Most Americans voted for him because they were so eager to break the race barrier and paid little attention to his policies, which were, in any case, cleverly blurred during the campaign. To tell the truth, even his lack of experience was an advantage because he had so little baggage to struggle with in pursuing this idealistic goal of breaking the barrier.

Now he has done it and is guaranteed a place in history. But the policies which are now emerging little-by-little in an understandable format, are not what his supporters wanted, nor were they in any way prepared for them.

He shouldn't be concerned that people are turning against him--they are not--were never with these policies. They were in favor of the important task he has already achieved.

He's now in the hands of his policy wonks and they are the ones getting the bad marks.

It's not surprising that President Obama has run into a wall. Most Americans voted for him because they were so eager to break the race barrier and paid little attention to his policies, which were, in any case, cleverly blurred during the campaign. To tell the truth, even his lack of experience was an advantage because he had so little baggage to struggle with in pursuing this idealistic goal of breaking the barrier.

Now he has done it and is guaranteed a place in history. But the policies which are now emerging little-by-little in an understandable format, are not what his supporters wanted, nor were they in any way prepared for them.

He shouldn't be concerned that people are turning against him--they are not--were never with these policies. They were in favor of the important task he has already achieved.

He's now in the hands of his policy wonks and they are the ones getting the bad marks.

It's not surprising that President Obama has run into a wall. Most Americans voted for him because they were so eager to break the race barrier and paid little attention to his policies, which were, in any case, cleverly blurred during the campaign. To tell the truth, even his lack of experience was an advantage because he had so little baggage to struggle with in pursuing this idealistic goal of breaking the barrier.

Now he has done it and is guaranteed a place in history. But the policies which are now emerging little-by-little in an understandable format, are not what his supporters wanted, nor were they in any way prepared for them.

He shouldn't be concerned that people are turning against him--they are not--were never with these policies. They were in favor of the important task he has already achieved.

He's now in the hands of his policy wonks and they are the ones getting the bad marks.

The Democrats have the Power and the Leadership to get this DONE one way or the other. The Republicans remain insignificant. They will be left out of the History books on this one. This Health Care Reform will always be known as a Democratic effort. The Republicans had the last 8 years to do something about this and did they ? Now all of a sudden they are made because all of their ideas have been rejected ? Look how much they allowed Health Care costs to rise during the Bush years. Then they were to concerned with the War they got us into. Now they are Mad because they are not allowed in on the Health Care Reform ? They had their chance, Now stand back and let the Democrats show you how it is DONE !!! YES WE CAN !

Your comments doesn't help clearify the health care bill, all you did was insult people and turn more people away from supporting the bill. Next time stay on message, only talk about the bill and not insulting people.

Your comments doesn't help clearify the health care bill, all you did was insult people and turn more people away from supporting the bill. Next time stay on message, only talk about the bill and not insulting people.

Looks like the Obama Train has run out of steam.The American people are starting to see what "change"is.But don't expect the left to quit.They have been working on this a long time and will dress it up and call it different names but in the end it will still be a duck.Freedom.

How can the White House "regain its message" when it changes every day. The specter of buffoon Gibbs up there trying to say people didn't say what they said is comical. Obama is not a leader. He's like a flag blowing in the wind. He said the "public option" isn't essential and when the radical left wing went ballistic he changes his mind. His party calls Americans Nazi's for disagreeing with his socialist agenda and his state run media tries to start a race war. He sends union and ACORN thugs to Town Hall meetings to keep order and rough up dissenters. I can't believe Colin Powell called him "transformational". He's transforming the White House into a haven for Chicago thug politicians.